After the disappointing end to the nail-biter Week 15 Chiefs vs. Chargers game, fans throughout Kansas City were left shocked, discouraged and confused. In perhaps a perfect encapsulation of a disheartening season, the tragic final score not only ended the game, but any hopes of a miracle playoff run. With the first missed post-season appearance in 10 years, one question is being asked in every home and office throughout the city: what happened to our Chiefs?

While the game had plenty of moments to be upset about, most notably the game-deciding interception thrown by backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II, the truth is that the anger should be redirected not simply to the game that ended our playoff chances, but to the failed season that put this game at such high stakes.

In stark contrast to the Chiefs we’ve seen in past years, this season was riddled with drops, interceptions and simply bad football. Close, one-score games used to be our specialty; defining moments like the famed 13-second miracle drive of 2022 or the most recent AFC Championship with a late Harrison Butker field goal have earned the Chiefs a reputation for staying calm and collected under pressure. That is, until this season. Not only have they fallen to a 1-7 record in those one-score games, but they also have been plagued by poor offensive completion percentages and regrettable play calls by the coaching staff. 

So, left with the depressing crumbs of a deteriorating team, the question is begged: why? The causes of our failures will vary based on which angry football dad or middle aged podcaster you ask, with the most popular answer seeming to be the easy target of offensive player injuries (such as WR Xavier Worthy’s shoulder injury in the season opener or the critical loss of cornerback Trent McDuffie in the Week 15 game due to a knee injury). However, even despite the loss of a couple players, our roster had enough depth of talent to easily recover in the hands of good coaching and smart plays, meaning the injuries were not the root cause of our misfortune. 

Ultimately, I think the biggest problem we faced was in fact, the lack of any individual glaring issue. There was no one bad position, one bad special teams tactic, or even one bad offensive or defensive lineup to blame. In all actuality, we had every piece a team could need to succeed. Our fault? We couldn’t seem to connect them. 

The defense was ineffective during crucial third downs. The offense was confused and out of place while Mahomes drowned in defensive tackles and linemen. Even our beloved quarterback consistently made poor split-second decisions and threw misaligned balls. Our team relied on the hopes of finding success in flashy and risky plays instead of playing dependable and slow football. And in the end of game moments that mattered, it looked like they just gave up.

So where do we go from here? Well, despite the dramatic reality we feel today, this position is nothing new for the majority of teams in the NFL (cough cough New York Jets). Having one substandard season isn’t quite the blaring sound of alarm we perceive it to be, and we have plenty of opportunities in the upcoming years to regain our dynasty. How do we do it? In my opinion, go back to the basics. Stop turning over on fourth downs. Drive for touchdowns in the red zone instead of settling for field goals. And for the love of everything good in KC, figure out our receivers so Mahomes doesn’t have to run around the whole field before getting to throw the dang ball. 

While the coming weeks of the NFL may look dreary for our city, I am certain that if we can rebuild our skills, plays and mindsets from the foundation up, we will be right back to housing the Super Bowl trophy in no time.